Incubator.



No. 823,182. PATENTED JUNE 12, 1906.

O. W. LUTZ.

INGUBATOR. I

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, 1906.

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a UNITED sTArEs PATENT oFFion.

OTTO WILLIAM LUTZ, 6FPETALUMA, CALIFORNIA. INQUABATOR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO WILLIAM LUTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Petaluma, thecounty of Sonoma and State of California, have invented new and useful Im-.

owing is a specification. My invention relates to poultry-incubators.

provementsin Incubators, of which the fol- 4 Its object is to provide a simple, practical, IO and automatically-governed incubator, and

especially one of large size, in which the eggchambers shall be heated by direct rather than by radiated heat and to providecertain improvements in the arrangement for quickly mechanically heating, distributing, and vitalizing the air, whereby a healthier condition will prevail than under ordinary present methods.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and the combination of parts, as

herelnafter more fully described and claimed, having reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through my poultry-incubator. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view through the apparatus, taken between the air-tank and the fabric 19. Fig.

4 is a perspective of a part of the apparatus,

showing the hinging of the parts 3 and 9 and the means for supporting the egg-trays.

A. represents a boxof suitable size, shape, and material. It is possible to make. very large machines and to operate them successfully by reason which I shall now' set orth. This box is provided with a suitably-hinged lid 2 and has suitable openings at its two sides for the insertion and removal of the eg trays and for the purpose of giving access to thebox for cleaning and other purposes. These side openings are closed by the hinged doors 3, of which there may be one or more on each side ofthe machine. The ends of the box are provided with suitableventilating-fines 4, open to the atmosphere at the top and to the interior of the box at the bottom. The fiues may be closed by slides 4. l

The egg-trays are supported a few inches above the bottom of the box on the removable slideways .5. These slideways are shown as consisting of fiat boards extending about one-half the width of the box and having downwardly-extending projections 6 at one Specification of Letters Patent.

of my s ecial construction,

l'atented June 12, 1906.

Application filed January 2, 1906. Serial No. 294.165.

H notched, as at 7, to fit over the projections 8 on a front board 9, which runs the entire length of the box. If desired, this front board may be hinged to the bottom of the box, as at 10, so that with the doors 3 open downwardly it is possible to swing the board '9 outwardly on its hinges and by removing the several slides leave the bottom of the box entirely open and unobstructed for cleanin purposes. This accessibility to the box is 0% great importance, since it enables a most thorough cleaning of the box after each hatch or at any other time, which isvery lmportant 1n the successful raising of young chicks A set of slideways is ada ted to be inserted from each side of the machine, and a corresponding set of e g-trays may be inserted from each side of t e machine, each slide being designed to support a side of two trays. The trays do not extend the full length of the slides for the urpose of roviding a suitable space at the fiont end of the trays to allow 'the little chicks after hatching to climb out of a tray and'drop down into the space beneath the trays. In order to prevent the chicks after hatching from climbingfrom one tray to another, a screen-section, as 11, supported in suitable longitudinal channels in the slideways 5, may be slipped inbetween the trays.

12 is an inclosed heating-tank arranged at tending nearly the length and breadth of the incubator-box. Thistankis suitably supported in the incubator-box and is adapted to "receive the heat fromlthe. source of heat-supply and also a limited quantity of fresh air and after suitably mixing the heated vapors and fresh air and distributing the same throughout the tank to 'deliver the heated and tempered mixture into the eg -chambers. This heating, mixing, and istribu tion is here shown as effected by the follow-' ing means: I refer to use'gas for heating pu oses, and I may use one or more suitable gasurners, as,.13, according to the size of the apparatus. I am h size apparatus I have shown two burners ar,- ranged one on each side of the middle of the apparatus. These burners 13 are arranged beneath the incubator-box and are adapted to direct their heat u through a tube which communicates directly with the inte- The tube 14 is surrounded by a second a suitable distance above the trays and ex-' ere illustrating a large tube or cylinder 15,

which is open at the bottom to the atmosphere and at the top to the interior of the egg-chamber. Beneath the tank 12 a second tube or flue 16 is arranged around and out of contact with the tube 15 and is also in communication with the outer atmopshere and with-the egg-chamber. The Ob ect of the two tubes 15 and 16 is to supply hot fresh air direct to the chamber and also a limited quantity of cold fresh air, mixing the hot and cold air at the point of discharge into the eggchamber. .In order to create a circulation-of heat in the tank 12 and to insure an equabl e' distribution of the heat to all cornersthereof, there are provided the tubes or flues 17 at eachend of the tank, which .extend outwardly of the ends of the incubator and which open to .the .atmos here. The heat from the burners after eing thoroughly mixed and distributed in the airchamber inclosed by tank 12 is discharged dowwardly into the egg chamberthrough a short section of tubing 18 and in opposition to an up-rushi'ng current of cold air entering through a flue 19, which is open to the atmosphere ,beneaththe incubator and is open to the egg-chamber at .thetop. The hot air from the tankisthus vita'lized by-the fresh airentering throughthe-fluellg, so thatin practice it is foundthat this heated and vitalized air and the air which enters through=the tubes 15 16 preserves a health atmosphere continually in. th egg-oham er, suitable means beingemploye'd to maintain a uniform temperature. In order to effect an'equable distribution of the .air entering through the several tubes 15, 16, 18, and 19, I may employ a transverselyextending partition of cheese-cloth 19 .or the like, (shown by dotted lines in Figs 1. and 2 and shown more fully by full lines in Fig. 3,) arran ed just below-the air-inlets to'the eggschamer. -Thischeese' cloth will serve to check air-currents and at the same time will ofler no substantial represence of the eggs and chicks.

Any suitable form of temperature and heat regulating means may be employed. In the present-in tauice I hav "shown a well-known form; tulatorhich the gas orithe .20 through 'a pipe 21 an discharges lirough a. pipe 22 to burner 13 the fioiiflofthe gas to 'the burner being controlled b avalve 23, which is operated from the tii ermostat 24,.disposed in the egg-chamber. As the heat in the eggchamber. increases to an undesired point the disk of thethermostat 24 expands, operating through the rod 25 and lever 26 to close more or less the valve 23, thereby decreasingthe gas-pressure at the burner and allowing a proportionately greater amount of cold air to enter the egg-chamber. As the tempera ture becomes reduced in the egg-chamber the thermostat contracts and opens up the valve sistance to the passage of .the air into the burner. If desired, a moisture-pan 27 may be arranged on top of the tank '12 and adapted to be filled through a valved pipe 28, carried by the lid2 of the incubator-box. The

pan 27 may be provided with an ou tlet 29,

extending off to one side and discharging ex- ThlS arrangement of the moisturean 1s convenient, smce terior of the incubator-box.

it enables it to be filed without having to open the ap aratus, as 1s usual in most incubators,since t 's openingof the-apparatusdurin incubation is not conducive to best resu ts.

f It will be observed that while a certain amount of radiated heat will beggiven-ofi by the air-tank 12 the main suppl ;of heat to the gas is direct heat, or rather t e heating-i chiefly done .by-the admission of hotfresh air. direct into the egg-chamber. This has been found to be conducive to a igreater proortion of sound healthy=chicks-than where heating is done purely by means of wateror steam pipes orthe like,-and, furthermore, a

saving of both heat and fuel is effectedinstead of letting outthe heat from the egg chamber, as is usual when the. tern era'ture gets too hot. Whenever the cham' or gets too hot,- the heat is here siin ly cutoff or decreased and is not increase again untilrthe chamber is cooled sufficiently.

The arrangement of the doors 3 and :Of-{ the hinged front sup arts 9 for -the slides 5. and the making the-s ides 5 removableenable the incubator to be opened 11 and cleaned with the utmost facility and t oroughness. The

. vertical endflues 4 operate to maintain-the necessary circulationin 'the incubator and serve to remove the-coldest and lmpurest air fromthe bottom ofthechamber, leaving fresh hot air above. By havingthe trays readily removable from each side of the wow i bator and by having them extend only half the width of the incubator-box it permitsthe trays to be turned and to have their positions changed from-time totime, so that all the eggs in all the trays Willbe subjected to an equal heat and all hatch at once. In machines where the trays extend clear across the incubator-box the eggs in. the middle,

which are subjected to themost heat, hatch out first.

Having thus described my invention, what I -claim, and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is i 1 An incubator comprising-a box a side 0 ening, a door for said-side opening, re mova le shdeways; insertible through the opening, said slideways having suitable rear end supports, a hinged bar opening outwardly to support the front end of said shdeways, trays on said-slideways, and means for. heating the interior of the box.

2. An incubator comprising a box inclosing an egg-chamber, an air-tank within said box,

means for delivering hot air into the tank, and means for delivering the heated air in the tank into the egg-chamber and for mixing 7 the eg -chamber and the same with cold air from outside the incuv bator.

3. In an incubator, a box inolosing an eggchamber, a source of heat-supply, and'means for circulating ljht air direct egg-chamber. I l.

4. In an incubator, a'box inclosing an eggchamber, an air-tank in the chamber, .a source of heat-Suppl means for delivering heat directly-into t e 'air-tank,;j,means for discharging the heat from the tank into the egg-chamber and-for adinitting ireshf y through the ed air om the tank.

5. In an incubator, a box'inclos g an eggchamber, a tank in the boxgga'fsearceof-hntsupply, communications between eaid source of en ply and the interioaof 'th'e tank,ilsaid tank avmg a downwardl -exten lingaoutlet, said box having an air et into whichs'aid hot-air outletdischarges and wherein the hot and cold air is mixed, said heated mixture havin a discharge into the egg' chamberc 6. 11 an incubator, a box inolosingianegg chamber, an air-tank in thechamber, pipes extending from the ends of the tank exterior to the box, a heating-pipe entering the tank, means for heating the air admitted through said pipe, air-tubes surrounding said pi e and open to the atmosphere and also to .t e ;i n'.- terior of the chamber, and admitting h t, 9 1';- to the chamber, and means for passing th'e hot air in the tank into theegg-chamber.

' -7. In an incubator, abox inclosing an egg-- chamber, an air-tank in the chamber, pipes extending from the ends of the tank exterior to the box, a heating-pipe entering the tank, :means for heating the air admitted through said pipe, air-tubes surrounding said pie and open to the atmosphere and also tot e interior of the chamber' and admitting hot air to the chamber, means for passing the hot air in the tank to the egg-chamber, and

means for mixing cold air with said hot air Witnesses:

'mg an outlet and hot-air connections with the egg-chamber.

9." incubator comprising a box'inclosing anegg-chamber, a hot-air tank therein, a

' pi centering said tank, means for admitting a eating'medium through said pipe-into the tank, an air-pipe surrounding said heatingpipe' and lnclosing a separate air-passage,

said air-pipe open to the atmosphere and to the egg-v chamber and adapted to deliver fresh air to the egg-chamber, said tank having an outlet to the egg-chamber, means for controlling the amount of heat according to the temperature of. the egg-chamber, and the endsof the box having vertical flues communicating with the outer atmosphere and with the bottom of the egg-chamber.

10. incubator comprising a box inclos ing an'e vgchambe r,' an air-tank in the box, removab e slideways in the egg-chamber and removable trays supported on said slideways, removable partitions between the trays, means for admitting-hot air to the airtank, and means for mixing cold air with the hot air from the tank and for discharging the heated mixture into the egg chamber, a moisture-pan, and means permitting the filling and emptying of the pan from the outside of the box-and without 0 ening the latter.

In testimony whereof have hereunto set @my hand in presence of tvvo subscribing Witnesses.

OTTO WILLIAM LUTZ.

CHAS. H. KENDiuoK, EJD. MEIssNER. 

